An Unexpected Journey with the Church
Occasionally, I’m invited to spend some time with a group of believers in a different city. Until recently, primarily because I was having to work several parttime jobs, I had not been able to accept any of those invitation.
However, recently, I’ve been invited to gather with a group of brothers and sisters in the Charlotte, NC area. My friend, Leah, is organizing this get together, and she’s inviting several people to join these believers to encourage them in their walk with Jesus and their walk with each other.
I’m excited about this time together, because the focus is on expectations. I’ve talked with several people recently about expectations, and I think this get together will work well with what I’ve been learning lately.
In particular, this gathering is being put together for those who are seeking fellowship in Christ but are struggling to find it. While there are many different reasons that this could be the case (and I’ve written about them previously), I’ve found that expectations play a big role as well.
I’m not exactly sure what I will be doing in the time allotted for me during this get together. But I do know a few things:
1) My topic will be “What happens when you find the church, but it’s not what, where, or who you expected?”
2) It will be extremely relational and interactive.
3) I will probably learn as much as anyone else.
I’ve decided to write about expectations over the next few days and how these expectations might affect our ability to fellowship with others. I look forward to your input on this topic.
By the way, this get together will be in Mooresville, NC (NOT Morrisville… don’t get that confused like I did), on Saturday, April 27, 2012 from 9:00 a.m. until 9:00 p.m. There is a small fee to cover rent for a place to meet and food for the day. (All meals and snacks will be provided.)
If you’re interested in joining us that day, let me know, and I’ll send you more information. You can leave me a comment here or email me at alan [at] alanknox [dot] net.
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It’s amazing how often we’re trackin’ on similar issues.
I wrote a blog last week on Organic Idols, which talks about how we bring so many wrong assumptions into fellowship – which then destroy the possibility of fellowship. It’s at http://crossroadjunction.com/2013/01/25/organic-idols/.
I have seen expectations destroy or thwart too many efforts to form new fellowships – especially “organic” or simple fellowships.
Also, something I’ve been feeling the Lord impress on me is how often folks want fellowship, but have not been willing to buy the grace they need to let it happen. By that, I mean grace is freely given, but it costs much to accept. I get private messages all the time from my blog (as I suspect you do too) asking how to form a fellowship or if I know of a fellowship they can join.
My heart goes out to them. But I wonder if they are willing to buy the grace needed for community to happen – which is to die to all of our naive and idealistic expectations. I know for my wife and me, that was very hard. But when we finally were stripped of our expectations and let go of them, God was able to start putting His church together His way. We – and some others – paid the price for the grace needed to then let those fellowships emerge.
I know some of the folks in the Charlotte area through Facebook, and they have many, many sincere expectations. Whether they can survive those expectations is a key hurtle. I think you will be a wonderful resource to help them.
Jim,
Thank you for the encouragement. While I hope that God will use me to help out my brothers and sisters in Charlotte, I’m also looking forward to how God works through them to help me as well.
I remember your post, and I thought you had some great points. Expectations are such fickle things… even “good” expectations.
-Alan
Ahhhh Charlotte, my home that Lord has not allowed me to call home in over 13 years 🙁
While I don’t think we are supposed to be envious, I’m envious at your future gathering. I still remember watching the Charlotte skyline fade out of site in my rear view mirror as I moved to Arizona. I was baptized there, I grew in the Lord there, it launched me on my walk I’m in today. While the Lord has blessed me beyond my imagination, I still long for the South’s best city! I’ve never been able to erase my time there from my memory bank. I grew up in NY but grew up in Charlotte spiritually. I am glad to hear the Lord will allow you to be among the church there. I hope one day to experience the family of God there again, but it is all in his timing.
I look forward to hearing about your experiences in future posts. I expect you will be deeply encouraged and inspired to track with others on the same path.
Blessings,
– Kathleen
Expectations that are anchored in God’s Word (rightly divided) are worth teaching and sharing with others.
All expectations should be shared openly, whether anchored in God’s Word or not. Only when they are shared openly can they be tested and corrected by the saints with God’s Word. Expectations that are kept internal and are mostly ethereal and un defined will lead saints on quests to find something the probably will never be achieved. Expectations should be tested to see if they are based on instructive texts or texts that merely record the history of what happened.
Vincent,
If you ever get back to this area, let me know.
Kathleen,
I expect the same thing. 🙂
Tim,
I agree that it’s good to share expectations with others. What happens when others don’t have the same expectations?
-Alan
oh man!! We have so many prior commitments that day — please keep me posted on things like this, that’s awesome!!! Can’t wait to hear about it. I would have loved to go!